Industrial chemicals obtained from inexpensive sources are desirable for use in industrial processes, for example as raw materials, solvents, or starting materials. It has become increasingly desirable to obtain industrial chemicals or their precursors from materials that are not only inexpensive but also benign in the environment. Of particular interest are materials which can be obtained from renewable sources, that is, materials that are produced by a biological activity such as planting, farming, or harvesting. As used herein, the terms “renewable” and “biosourced” can be used interchangeably.
Tetrahydrofuran-2,5-dimethanol and related compounds are useful precursors in the synthesis of industrially useful chemicals such as pharmaceuticals, herbicides, stabilizers, and polymers. Tetrahydrofuran-2,5-dimethanol is useful in adhesives, sealants, coatings, solvents, resins, and polymer materials, for example. Tetrahydrofuran-2,5-dimethanol and compounds such as 1,2,6-hexanetriol and 2-hydroxymethyltetrahydropyran are also useful as intermediates in the synthesis of 1,6-hexanediol. 1,6-hexanediol is used in the production of polyesters for polyurethane elastomers, coatings, adhesives and polymeric plasticizers. 1,6-Hexanediol can also be converted to 1,6-hexamethylenediamine, a useful monomer in nylon production.
There is a need for processes to produce tetrahydrofuran-2,5-dimethanol from renewable biosources. There is a need for processes to produce tetrahydrofuran-2,5-dimethanol and 1,6-hexanediol from biomass-derived starting materials, including C6 oxygenated hydrocarbons such as isosorbide.